The Normals: Hands and Humans
by AlcatrazOutpatient
Summary: Spin off of The Others series. "Can we talk?" "About what?" "Anything. Just anything." Because sometimes looks aren't needed. Sometimes all you need to here is a voice. Cheershipping


**The Normals: Hands and Humans**

**Disclaimer:** Yu-gi-oh! Duel Monsters is owned by Kazuki Takahashi, Studio Gallop, Nihon Ad Systems, and TV Tokyo. All names were changed to the characters of this fandom in order to protect the real people involved in the following incidents.

* * *

><p>"<em>Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be, therein to be content."<br>- Helen Keller_

Serenity Wheeler is an odd child. When most kids her age as terrified of the darkness, she embraces it with open arms. It may have something to do with how her vision sometimes goes very, very blurry and she can't see much of anything.

It doesn't strike her as unusual. It isn't like she knew any better. She is but a child of five and doesn't know that the world isn't supposed to go dark every so often.

Serenity, despite her open personality and bright disposition, enjoys the darkness.

It is her daddy that catches on first that something is wrong. Her parents know that she has difficulty reading, but he realizes that it goes beyond being unable to match letters to sounds and into something when he sees that she is unable to tell a blue crayon from a red one. Their mommy says its nothing, but he insists on having her checked out.

He stops going to the pub for weeks to save up money for the optometrist visit. Serenity doesn't know what that means at the time, but her older brother does. He's been alive long enough to know that their father is an alcoholic - whatever that is…

The eye doctor says some big complicated words that make both of her parents go pale. When she asks her brother Joey afterwards, his hands shake as he says, "You're gonna go blind, Serenity."

She doesn't understand what 'blind' means, so she swings her legs and hums a nursery rhyme. She doesn't have a care in the world.

* * *

><p>Its when the doctor's visits become once and twice a month that Serenity's realizes something is wrong. Its around the time that her parents start yelling at each other. She knows that they've never really gotten along, but this is more than normal.<p>

But Joey says that they've gotten much better since daddy stopped drinking. She doesn't understand; of course he hasn't stopped drinking. He sips water a lot now and not that weird brown-red liquid in the glass bottles. But mommy has been sniffing that white powder a lot more.

And daddy is mad at her. He wants her to leave.

She does. Serenity never sees her mommy again.

* * *

><p>She's scared of the darkness now that she understands what going blind is. Serenity can't image a world where she can't see anything. She wants to run and scream because this isn't fair. This just isn't fair.<p>

She prays, sometimes, that God will save her sight. She wonders if He's listening. Joey says that he is. She wants to believe Joey because the other options – that He isn't listening, that He isn't there – aren't as pleasant.

But Serenity is a good girl. She goes to church every Sunday. She says her prayers before bed each night. She doesn't hate people; she cares for everyone, even strangers. She doesn't get jealous about the other girls at school who wear prettier clothes and can see. She isn't jealous because envy is a sin.

And good girls don't sin.

* * *

><p>Serenity believes in miracles. And she's seen one happen. She's so happy even though the world is so dark now.<p>

Her vision is failing and even with her glasses, it is hard to see. Serenity tries to keep a brave face, but when your bordering on being legally blind at the age of 10, you get a little scared. But Doctor Goyu…Doctor Goyu had to be an angel.

The man was understanding. He knew that Dad didn't have the money to pay for a full-on operation. But there was this thing he was willing to try that could cure her for good. It could make the darkness disappear forever.

Serenity is already crying thankful tears of joy when Doctor Goyu announces that he won't be charging them anything. It's an experimental technique, with a fifty-fifty chance of working. But she knows that God will protect her. She will be able to see again.

Joey is worried. Dad is worried. She wonders if Mom, if she were here, would be worried. She doubts it. Mom was far to interested in getting high to care for them.

She stops that train of thought, knowing that anger will get her no where. Serenity takes a deap breath and smiles at her family, "I want to do it. It will work. I promise."

Dad pulls her into a hug. He smells of grease and engine oil, the smell of a mechanic. "It will be alright," he agrees with her.

* * *

><p>Its only when she overhears him praying for her sight that she knows that he was simply trying to convince himself of what he said. Serenity wishes that it wouldn't sadden her as much as it did.<p>

Its another year before Doctor Goyu books the date for the surgery. It's around Thanksgiving in the year Joey starts high school. He says that he'll be there when she comes out of the operating room.

The nurse wheels her in and there is the smell of chemicals, bright lights flashing from every direction until there is not a shadow on the wall. Serenity shivers in the hospital gown they gave her earlier as Doctor Goyu readies the anesthetic.

"We're going to have to put you under for this," he tells her. "When you wake up, there will be goss over your eyes. That will be to keep them closed until you heal completely."

One of the nurses turns to her. He looks like he'd just graduated from medical school, "Are you sure you still want to do this, Serenity?"

She looks around and sees the room she is in. She remembers the faces of her brother and father. She even remembers her mother's slightly hazy form.

"Yes," she answers, strong and determined.

As they put the mask over her mouth and nose, Serenity sings a prayer to God in her head.

"Now I lay me down to sleep…I pray the Lord my soul to keep…If I shall die before I wake…I pray the Lord my soul to take."

* * *

><p>The opporation is a success, but Serenity will not be seeing anything until Doctor Goyu says that she can remove the bandages. Joey and Dad visit her every day and bring her homework from school. They read her the notes and help her with homework.<p>

She can tell that Joey is getting tired of it. Serenity know that he has stuff of his own to do and he's in high school; he shouldn't be trailing after his sister who can't see. He should be out having fun with his friends.

When she overhears him mention the football team to Dad and how he got a spot, Serenity gasps and beams, "Hey Joey! When I take off my bandages, the first thing I want to see is you playing football."

She can feel Joey's stare through the darkness. But he doesn't say anything, just hugs her.

"Sorry, for being such a jerk," he mutters.

"It's alright. You're allowed," she says back.

Serenity loves her brother and wants him to be happy. And if knowing that his sister is going to watch him play football when her eyes get better, then she's given him something to look forward to.

* * *

><p>Its around April when Joey starts bringing one of his friends over with him. Apparently, the boy was injured while playing dodgeball.<p>

"Hey, Serenity. I've got someone I want you to meet," Joey says. There's the creak of the door opening and a second set of footsteps entering the room.

"Hello?" She calls out to the unknown person.

"Uh…hi?" He answers back. His voice isn't deap, but it isn't too high either. And his steps aren't as heavy as Joey's, so she assumed as he's more boney than her brother. "I'm Duke."

"Serenity," she holds her hand out for him to shake. There's a pause and then she feels fingers enclose around her own and held them in a comfortable grip. Duke's hand is a bit clammy, she notices.

"Look, Dad doesn't know where your new room is so I'm going to help him bring over your stuff. Keep each other company for a bit, will ya?" Joey's steps head back to the door. "If Duke, if you make a pass on her –"

"Oh come on, man. She's what? Twelve?" Duke sighs exasperated and then quickly sucks in his breath. Joey pulls the door closed behind him and it shuts with a click.

"I'm thirteen," Serenity corrects him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," he grits out, obviously not fine at all.

"You're lying. Don't cover it up, I can tell," she scolds him. "What happened that got you landed in here?"

"This new kid…" Duke growns, "Chucked a dodgeball at me really hard."

"That doesn't seem so bad," Serenity giggles. She hears him huff.

"The doctor says that I've got a cracked rib."

Her eyebrows shoot upwards, "He sounds strong."

"He's not," Duke gets defensive. "He's just a freak."

"That's not nice."

"It's true. If you met him, you'd know."

There's silence and then, "What happened to your eyes?"

"I was going blind, but the doctors fixed them," she explains the story she's told a million times already, about the darkness and how she prayed for a miracle to occur. Duke sits there through the entire thing. Most people leave after a while, but he doesn't.

He's special.

"But don't you get worried?" He asks at the end of it, "There are people walking in and out of your room and you don't know what they look like. I could be some crazy insane person for all you know."

"You aren't," Serenity says simply.

"But how do you know?" He asks again.

"You can't tell who someone is based on what they look like," she tells him. "But you can tell by their words, their actions. You're a good person, Duke. I can tell."

Serenity searches for his hand, but his finds her's first. She holds it up so that he can see.

"You've got four fingers," she touches each one. "Four fingers and a thumb. Humans are the only creatures to have thumbs and speak the English language. And since you're human, I'm going to believe that you're a good person until you prove me otherwise."

Duke says nothing, but she can feel his arm tense at her words. She can hear his breath as it nosily escapes his body.

"You…you mean that?" He asks quietly.

"Of course. Don't you believe me?" Serenity tilts her head to the side and smiles at him. She can feel him smile back.

"You sure you're thirteen?"

She snorts, "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"You are the oldest thirteen year old I've ever met," she laughs at that. Duke laughs as well.

They're still lauhing by the time Joey brings Dad into the room. Serenity likes Duke. He's nice.

* * *

><p>When Doctor Goyu finally tells her, after months and months of darkness, that she would be seeing clearly for the rest of her life, Serenity promises herself to include him in her prayers every night in the years to come.<p>

The first thing she does is phone her father. The next thing she does it phone Duke. Together, they concoct at plan.

Joey's football team made the finals. It's the only thing that he's been talking about lately. She knows that he has practices all the time now, where the coach goes over strategy and techniques. He has a game tonight and she wants to see that game. Serenity wants to see him win.

She's staring at the sky – she's never known it to be so blue before – on the steps of the hospital when her name is called from behind. She knows its Duke and part of her wants to leap around and see what he looks like. She wants to match his voice to his face.

But she doesn't. Instead she pats the spot beside her, indicating for him to sit down there. He does.

"Hey, I got your message," he said, grunting as he sat down. "You're dad going to meet us there?"

"Yeah," Serenity sighed, turning to him. And here he was.

Duke Devlin is...oh my. He's…wow.

She tries not to judge people on their looks, but Duke is very handsome. He has dark hair that flicks over his forest green eyes and gives him an air of mysteriousness. His face has the sharp features of a model.

And this boy the one who has been sitting at her bedside table for weeks at a time? Oh…

But he's still Duke, still the owner of the voice who has been speaking to her out of the darkness. He's still nice and special and probably the coolest person she's met outside of her brother.

Duke leads her to where he's left his bike. Serenity sits on the rim of the back wheel, dripping at his clothes as he rides towards Domino High School. She can feel him tense through his shirt when she leads against him for balance and wonders why.

* * *

><p>Joey scores the winning touch down. Serenity climbs over the stands and runs all the way to her brother, screaming his name. She doesn't understand half of what happened during the game, but she's so happy for him.<p>

He's shocked that she had been there the entire time; even more so that the bandages are off and _she can see_! It only gets better when the couch comes up and offers him a place on the team next year – if Joey can keep his grades up. Serenity squeels a little bit and turns around to find Duke amongst the crowd to tell him the good news.

He's surrounded by a group of girls. Older girls. Good looking girls with hoop earings and make up and designer clothes. They're laughing at a joke Duke had just made. One of them gives him a look that makes it seem like she's eating him with her eyes.

The smile drops from Serenity's face and something bubbles deap inside of her. As she watches Duke walk away with those girls and into their car, she realizes that her friend is _popular_. And she's not. She's in the seventh grade and he's in high school. That means that he's out of reach for her.

Serenity tries to convinces herself that she was jealous because those girls could afford so much more than she could. It had nothing to do with the fact that Duke went with them, instead of with her.

She prays for forgiveness anyways, just to be safe.

* * *

><p>Duke calls her the next day. Something's wrong with his voice.<p>

"Can we talk?" He asks quietly.

"About what?"

"Anything. Just anything," he sounds hopelessly desperate.

So she does. Serenity talks about meeting her friends again and seeing them clearly for the first time ever. She talks about being able to see the board and being so much more independent than she was before. She talks for almost an hour, with him adding in the occasional bit of commentary.

When she finishes, she's asks him if something has happened to him. Duke tells her that he's done something stupid, but won't elaborate. And then he says thank you.

"For what?" She asks.

"For being there," he tells her. "For answering the phone in the middle of the night and just talking."

"That's what friends are for," she says, letting the words slip out before having the time to contemplate them. "I mean…"

"Friends?" Duke sounds a bit hopefull.

"Yeah," Serenity decides. "Let's be friends. Good friends."

She can hear the smile in his voice, "Okay."

* * *

><p>Sometimes Duke comes by her school at the end of the day. He waits until they're let out and walks her home.<p>

She knows that he's rich. She also knows that she's not. Dad's put in a lot of work, becoming clean and getting his high school diploma, but he's not going to be getting a college education any time soon.

But instead of acting ashamed of their apartment, Serenity holds her head high. She's not doing to it impress Duke. She's doing it because she's proud of her father. She's proud of him for getting better.

Serenity can't wait to start high school. Duke tells her its not that great, but she disagrees. She can't wait to be able to take Drama and have the teachers take the class seriously. She wants to act and perform on stage. Maybe she's even go to acting school when she graduates.

Duke looks at her funny sometimes. She can usually tell without looking at him that he's doing it. He gets really quiet and even when he does talk, its softer than normal. His voice drops a few degrees and she can feel his eyes on her.

It makes Serenity feel like she's the only thing in the world when he does that.

* * *

><p>She's in the library one day, checking out a book that she needs for her history essay. Joey's with her; he recently got his license and wants to drive absolutely everywhere. As Serenity walks passed one of the shelves, something – someone – flickers in and out of her eyesight. A wave of fear roles down her spine.<p>

When she looks back, there's a boy there. He's putting books away from the cart, carefully touching the spine of each one before moving on to the next. His long white hair falls in front of his face and his hands are a deathy white.

He looks like a corpse. Serenity backs away from him quickly and runs to the check out. There's an older woman there who tells her knew her book is due back. Then the woman looks behind her and yells, "Bakura! Are you done with those books yet?"

"Yes, Mrs. Barlet," the boy from earlier calls. His voice makes her jump and her hands shake. She's so scared and she doesn't understand why.

Serenity runs from the library and into Joey's car. She tells her brother about the creapy boy and his hands clench against the wheel.

"Stay away from him, Serenity," he warns her. "He's a freak. He'll hurt you if you get to close."

She shivers and wonders when she started to judge people by there outer appearance.

* * *

><p>When she starts high school, the first thing she does it find Duke. He's leaning against his locker, talking to a girl with long black hair and a shirt that's a little too short for her torso. The girl laughs and, once again, Serenity feels that familiar wave of envy.<p>

Duke looks up and shock passes over his handsome face. He nearly drops his phone, which he'd been checking his email on. She waves hello shyly and his green eyes light up.

"Serenity!" He calls her over, "I want you to meet someone. This is Amane. She's a friend of mine. Amane, this is Serenity. She's Joey's little sister."

"Hey," the foreign accent is the first thing to hit her, followed by the feeling of being completely under dressed. Amane is beautifully stunning, "We've heard about you from your brother."

"Only good things, I hope," Serenity jokes back, still staring at this amazing example of feminity.

"Well, Duke talks about you too, so your reputation isn't completely ruined," Amane laughs is light and strong, all at the same time.

"So, finally in high school, huh?"Duke grinned, "How does it feel?"

"I like it," she answers. "Its fun. I can't wait for Drama. I have it after lunch."

It's a calm conversation, but she's worried about Duke. He looks a bit nervous, especially when Joey joins them. When the bell rings, though, he offers to walk her to her next class. Serenity thanks him, smiling sweetly. Duke smirks, but there is something else there too.

When she looks back, Serenity sees that he's still looking at her. Its _that_ look and it makes her heart beat faster than it ever has before.

* * *

><p>It's a year later when she gets a text from someone in her english class. It's a picture of the boy from the library. He's tied up and naked, held against the goal post of one of the soccer nets. Serenity deletes it as quickly as she can. She's disgusted.<p>

There are several rumours about who did it, but she doesn't want to believe them. Serenity knows that her brother came home late that night and that it was Tea who sent the original text, but she doesn't want to put two and two together to make four. Her brother couldn't have done this. His friends – her friends – couldn't have done this.

Duke couldn't have done this because he's human and a good person. Because he has four fingers and a thumb. And because he wouldn't do this to her.

Serenity gets a call from him about a week and a half later. Its in the middle of the night, just as it was before.

"Can we talk?" He asks again.

"About what?"

"Anything. Just anything."

She hesitates this time, instead saying, "Why don't you go first this time?"

Duke tells her everything. It was supposed to be a prank, just a joke on the loser. But then, Duke never thought of how the kid would take it. He described walking in on him in the washroom and realizing that the guy was about to kill himself. He wondered whether or not that made him a monster, a murder.

Her hands shake as Duke tells her about the two long days where the kid doesn't even show up to class afterwards. How scared he'd been, how worried he'd felt. And then, once he knows that the kid is still alive, he shares his final realization.

"I don't even know his name, Serenity," Duke whispers to her over the phone. "How can I not know the guy's name?"

"His name is Bakura," she remembers the old lady calling him that.

"I know that. That's his last name," he corrects her.

She frowned, "How do you know that?"

"Because that's Amane's last name. They're twins."

It shocks her to the bone. Amane, the amazing girl with the jet black hair, had a twin brother? Why didn't she ever tell people?

And then it hits her: she didn't know the boy's name either. She'd seen him in the halls before, lurking in the corner of her eye. Serenity knows he's there, because the feeling of fear that passes over her when he's in the same room. She avoids him like the plague because the boy simply scares her.

But he's got four fingers and a thumb too. So why can't she treat him as human?

* * *

><p>There's been a fight. And it is the last straw for Serenity. She's not going to take this from Duke anymore. She's not going to lied to again.<p>

She'd been there, when it broke out. She'd seen Duke change from the person she knew into this monster that she didn't. Even his voice – the first thing she's known about him – became unrecognizable.

She runs away just as Duke pins the boy from the library beneath him and starts to punch him. She can't watch anymore. This is not what she's wanted to see when her vision returned.

She doesn't answer Duke's calls anymore. She doesn't turn to him when he shouts her name in the hallways. Serenity prays for advice, but none comes her way.

Its late Friday night when there's a knock on her apartment door. Dad is still working in the mechanic shop and her brother has late night practice, so it can't be them. When she opens it, Serenity nearly shuts it immediately. But instead, she gives Duke a chance to plead his case.

"Please, just please. Hear me out," he begs her, standing in the doorway looking like a wet rat. He's out of breath, like he just ran all the way over here. There are dark circles under his eyes – eyes that still remain as bright and green as ever.

"You lied to me," she spits, angrier than she's been in her entire life. "You made me believe that you were a good person and then you go and do this? Why Duke? Why would you ever do something like that?"

"I'm sorry, just please, Serenity!" He tries to reason with her, "Please. I want to –"

"Want to what, Duke? Want to what? What do you want from me? Why do you even bother hanging out around me?" She shouts at him. Duke tried to speak, but she cut him off again, "I know about your reputation with girls. I know that you aren't interested in me like that. So what are you doing here?"

As she catches her breath, he looks at her strangely, "You mean you don't know? You didn't hear…?"

"Hear what? That you got pissed off and beat someone to a pulp? Because I heard about that!"

But that doesn't seem to be it. An odd emotion, some mix of relief and utter horror, passes over his face and he leans his head against the frame. Serenity huffs and contemplates shutting the door on him. Duke mutters something unintelligible.

"What was that?" She growls.

"I said…" he takes a deap breath, "I said I'm in love with you."

"Well that just – wait. What?" She doesn't believe her ears.

"I'm in love with you," he repeats, a little stronger this time, but still not looking at her. "I've loved you since the day we met in the hospital. Its always been you, Serenity. It will always be you. So please, I'm begging you. Please, just don't leave me. I can't live without you."

She doesn't believe it. She can't believe it. Her hands shake as she backs away from the door, stumbling backwards without the co-ordination she usually has. She can't look at him. How could he say something like that, just out of the blue? He was in love with her all this time? How had she never seen it?

At some point, Serentiy realizes that Duke is helping her walk over to the couch in the living room. He's very warm and comfortable. He's holding her gently, but not like a glass doll that will break at the slightest touch. He knows that she's not. He knows of her strength and respects that.

"Please," he whispers again as he sits her down on the cushined seats, kneeling before her and holding her hands in a way more reminisant of a ringless marriage proposal than a plee for her return to his life. "Please, just give me one more chance. That's all I ask for, just one chance to prove to you that I can be better."

"Why are you doing this?" Serenity's voice comes out strangled and maimed, like its been through a shreader.

Duke takes a deap breath, "Because someone told me today that I was lucky to know what love was. And it really made me come to terms with…what this is between us – for me at least." He added the last bit in a little hastily. It made her laugh a little.

"I don't love you," she tells him and she can see his disappointment. "But we can still be friends, if you clean up your act a bit."

"I guess I've kind of been a jerk," he smirks a little, in the way that he used to. The way that she misses.

"A little bit," she bites back a smile. She's still supposed to be angry at him, but its hard because they were – are still – friends and friends are supposed to forgive each other.

Duke stays the night, camped out on the couch and wrapped in what blankets they can spare. When she wakes up Saturday morning, he's still there, snoring slightly. Serenity wonders what it is that makes him love her. He has so many more options that her.

But for some reason, she's happy that he chose her. She doesn't understand why, but she's still happy.

* * *

><p>The boy is comes back from his other school and she works up all her courage to apologize for Duke. Surprisingly enough, he's nice. A little on the rough side, but nice none the less. He asks her if she's in love with Duke. It surprises her a little, realizing that this boy knows a lot of things about people he's never talked to.<p>

She's not in love with Duke, though. But she does like him. And this boy, who she only just really met, knows that.

He's someone to look out for. Because he's lonely, this boy looks at other people and _analyzes them_. Serenity wonders what else he knows.

It was amazing how all the rumours that were floating around could probably all be validated by one single person. And that's the person that no one talks to.

* * *

><p>The boy is scared. He's beaten and broken and scared. Serenity holds his hair back as he pukes his guts out and wonders what his name actually is.<p>

And she's scared too. She's scared of him, yes, but she's also scared of Joey. She's never seen him get angry like that. It was a complete mistake; the boy couldn't have possibly made the light explode. He couldn't have done anything to make Joey angry.

The boy continues to retch, spewing chunks as he shakes and trembles out of fear. Then he tells her to go away, to leave him and Serenity is tempted to to just that. But she doesn't because he's gone back to puking again.

Then the boy tells her that she's not safe around him, that he's a monster. It scares her to the core, not because of him, but for him instead. How could someone believe that about themselves? What had happened to him to make him think that?

Then he says something even more terrible, even more frightening because it shows his powers of observation again, "Then why are you scared of me? Why is it that every time you look at me, you start to shake? There's a good reason for that, Serenity. You should listen to your gut for once."

Serenity panics because she realizes that he knows her name, but she doesn't know his. She wishes that she could be of more comfort. She wishes that she could do something – offer friendship or someone to talk to.

Duke calls her from outside. Her hands quake as she leaves the boy's washroom. His back is to her when she approaches him.

"Hey," he waves cooly when he turns and sees her. "Where were you?"

"Can we talk?" Serenity asks quietly.

He blinks, following the tradition that they seemed to have developed over the years, "About what?"

"Anything. Just anything."

So he does. They go to their corner in the library and talk, face-to-face this time instead of over the phone. He tells her about this party he's organizing for the weekend and that he's inviting a bunch of people from school. He's not planning on hooking up with anyone, he reassures her, but he doesn't need to. Serenity knows that he's been turning down offers from girls left, right, and center.

Her insides squirm when she knows he's remaining loyal to her, even though they're not together. Sometimes she daydreams what it would be like, being with Duke. They're crazy and impossible and wonderful. She doesn't know if its love, but it is definitely a full on crush.

When Duke asks her what's wrong, she breaks down and tells him about the boy. She can't understand the idea of being so frightened of herself and she can't believe he thinks he's a monster. She's panicking because she doesn't know what to do but she wishes that she could do something and –

Oh. Oh my. Lips. On hers. Duke's…he's…

He's kissing her. He's _kissing_ her. And…now he's not.

He's looking at her with questioning eyes, asking if she is alright with this. Duke Devlin, the king of one night stands, is asking her silently if she wants to be his girlfriend. A steady girlfriend.

Yes. Oh God, thank you, yes!

Serenity smashs her mouth against his, kissing him like her life depends on it. She kisses Duke, her friend – her best friend. And she loves it.

* * *

><p>She's not the only one who's suddenly got someone. It's about a week after the attack on the White House by Yugi Mutuo when she sees it.<p>

Serenity is walking by the McDonalds that she passes every time she goes home from school when she feels the familiar wave of fear role down her spine. She knows who it is without even having to turn her head. It's the boy.

She can see him through the window, sitting with a pretty girl and eating a burger. Serenity sees them laugh at something and realizes that they're probably on a date. In a way, she's happy for him. He's come a long way from thinking that he's a monster.

And then the girl pulls his drink away from his mouth, touching his face and leans in close. Her messy brown hair swings forward a beat after her as she kisses the boy. It takes a whole second for him to react, but then he responds enthusiastically. Serenity realizes that she's basically watching them make out through a window and turns to give them some privacy.

But before she leaves, Serenity looks back and smiles a little. At least he isn't so lonely anymore.

* * *

><p>Serenity sees what reality has to show much later on.<p>

When the girl shows up and reveals herself for who she truly is, telling them to "Run. Go I'll hold them back." Her hair, no longer covered by the wig she once wore, swishes in a mirade of black, crimson, and gold as Yugi Mutuo is revealed. She draws a bow out of nowhere and preparing to protect a group of teenagers she doesn't even know.

And then there is the boy, who's name – "I am Bakura" – will forever be seared into her mind. He lays down his life to save theirs, after everything that they've done to him. He doesn't care about that, storming in and blasting _them_ away.

Serenity sees Mutuo and Bakura kiss once more before they part ways and go into battle. Its heated and desperate, proclaiming without words that they will see each other once more no matter what because "Don't you dare die or I'll kill you."

When its all over, Serenity asks him a question, "Why did you save us?"

Bakura turns to her and blinks, "You're human, aren't you? That's reason enough."

The shivers that run down her spine stop that day because Serenity Wheeler realizes she no longer has anything to fear from him.

Silently, she hopes that when she dies that Bakura will help her to pass on. She would consider it to be an honour.

"_As humans we look at things and think about what we've looked at. We treasure it in a kind of private art gallery."  
>- Thom Gunn<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Hello all!<strong>

**So Marik's tribute fell through again, but instead Serenity decided to step up to the plate. And surprisingly enough, her story had very little to do with Bakura and focused more around her connection with Duke. I think they're kind of sweet.**

**Also, this is my first time writing from the point of view of a very religious character. Serenity is Catholic and I hoped that it came through alright.**

**I hope that you enjoyed this one shot. I'm off to start working on the next chapter of The First Year.**

**Until then,**

**AlcatrazOutpatient**


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